1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a data processing system and more specifically to methods and systems for configuring a redundant switch for Fibre Channel over Ethernet switch failures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fibre Channel (PC) is a high-speed protocol for connecting computers, devices, and storage systems. Fibre Channel based architectures offer a seamless protocol that provides a dedicated path between computers and storage systems. The American National Standard for Information (ANSI) task group created the Fibre Channel standard to define an I/O channel for interconnecting a number of devices at gigabit speeds. The idea behind Fibre Channel was to create a high throughput, low latency, reliable and scalable data transmission system. Fibre Channel technology has been favored by businesses, large and small, because this technology has several advantages. For example, Fibre Channel technology is capable of operating at speeds that Ethernet-based storage interconnect solutions were, in the past, not capable of matching. Additionally, Fibre Channel technology supports multiple topologies including dedicated point-to-point, shared loops, and scaled switched topologies to meet desired application requirements. Fibre Channel technology also offers a network that reduces the number of cables and the number of network interface cards required to connect to disparate storage and IP networks.
The Fibre Channel network, also referred to as a fabric, includes a physical layer of a plurality of interconnected devices, such as hubs, switches, directors, and translation devices, (such as host bus adapters, routers, and gateways). The translation devices are the intermediaries between Fibre Channel protocols and upper layer protocols, such as SCSI, FCP, FICON, Ethernet, ATM, and SONET. Devices at either end of the fabric store and distribute data throughout the network using firmware. Data is transported throughout the Fibre Channel network via Fibre Channel segments. The segments are channels of communication established between two or more nodes. The Fibre Channel segment is capable of transporting the data from one point to another point at a consistent high speed. A second set of redundant switches can also be integrated into the fabric in the event a failure is detected. The redundant switches work to minimize the loss of transmitted data frames and application down-time.
Fibre Channel over the Ethernet is a relatively new protocol specification, mapping Fibre Channel natively over Ethernet networks. Implementation of this protocol requires encapsulation of native Fibre Channel frames into an Ethernet frame. The extension of the Ethernet protocol also allows for utilizing the MAC address instead of the Fibre Channel address, which remains intact in the Ethernet payload. As a result the Ethernet becomes the Fibre Channel physical interface and the Fibre Channel becomes the transport protocol. Frames are routed to destination ports via the Fibre Channel over Ethernet fabric. The fabric routes the frames to an address which is embedded in the Fibre Channel frame header. Routing is performed using both a Fibre Channel address and a MAC address.
In traditional Fibre Channel networks, ports are associated with and connected to one and only one switch. If the switch a port is connected-to fails, this failure is immediately detectable by the port; however, the port no longer has access to the network. In a Fibre Channel over Ethernet network, ports may be connected to an intermediary Ethernet switch. This Ethernet switch device facilitates port accessibility to many redundant Fibre Channel aware Ethernet (FCoE) switches. However, with this configuration the port is unable to immediately detect the failure of the port's associated Fibre Channel over Ethernet switch because the port will not receive a link down event.